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Features

My Startup Idea: Chaayos founder Nitin Saluja on his eureka moment

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In this column, we bring you the stories behind how startup founders got their business idea, and the things, events, and actions that eventually led them to their big eureka moment. This time, we feature the founder of an e-commerce platform and a real estate entrepreneur.

‘I just wanted meri wali chai ‘: Nitin Saluja, founder, Chaayos

The Idea: A cafe to serve customised chai to a customer twice every day

Eureka Moment:
I missed finding the perfect cup of chai in the US, and when I returned to India in 2012, I saw a need for chai cafes. Coffee vs chai consumption is 1:30 yet there was no place serving chai. India has a unique tea drinking culture, and everyone has a unique way of brewing chai, so I started Chaayos to offer ‘meri wali chai’.

Early days:
The good part was that getting customers was not tough. There was a huge market for chai. At our first cafe at Cyber City, I would take care of operations myself — taking orders, making chai and serving customers.

Biggest Challenge:
Making sure we customise tea for every customer and serve them consistently. In the process of fast expansion, we had to make sure that each outlet is unique yet offers a similar Chaayos experience.

Where I am now:
Chaayos has 43 cafes in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, Mumbai and Chandigarh. We aim to open 33 more by the end of the financial year.

Source: Times of India

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